The inventive subject matter disclosed herein relates to light weight, flexible foot coverings in general, and more particularly to dance shoes, such as ballet shoes, of a new and improved construction that permits better foot protection and greater flexibility.
Ballet and modem dance can include periods of running, jumping, spinning, leaping, and physical interactions among several individuals. The driving desire to achieve extremes in movement in ballet has spawned the development of footwear meant to facilitate graceful and inspiring movements, such as rotating on the tips of the toes or walking and landing on the toes, even if these movements are not natural movements for the average person. Dance shoes enable these dance steps and can help protect the dancer's feet by distributing forces and pressures resulting from dance steps over a wide area of the outside surface of the foot and by addressing foot-to-surface or shoe-to-surface frictional requirements.
However, traditional dance shoes or ballet slippers may not feel comfortable or provide sufficient protection, especially when pivoting and the dancer balances on the metatarsal head area of the foot. The outsoles usually have an oval or tear-drop shape and are traditionally longer than wider. This may create a feeling of discomfort, particularly after prolonged wear because the dancer can feel the outsole border (e.g., because of a seam line) when weight-bearing on the metatarsal heads. Moreover, these slippers do not allow enough protection and support at the ball of the foot. FIG. 5A shows a typical outsole configuration of a traditional ballet slipper. As can be seen, the first and fifth metatarsal heads, as well as the first and fifth proximal phalanges, are not uncovered or just partially covered. The pressure on at least these metatarsal heads against hard surfaces may cause deep contusions called “stone bruises”. In general, the materials used for outsoles are usually bulky and hard, thereby impeding movement of the foot at the midfoot. The tear drop shape of the heel section contributes to a feeling of discomfort in the midfoot because of the presence of outsole material extending into the midfoot. Accordingly there is a need for light-weight, flexible footwear for dancers that provides the feet better protection and flexibility.